In riparian settings where PLs naturally occur, root physiology is adapted to provide a pathway for O2 from the atmosphere to the roots. Roots use this O2 sourced from outside of the rhizosphere (rootzone) to fuel root function/metabolism. Plants grown in a solid medium (potting soil) have root systems adapted to use O2 from the rhizosphere. When the rhizosphere is flooded or partially flooded, the root system is functionally crippled and the entire organism suffers (spoiled/blemished foliage, poor water/nutrient uptake, poor health/growth, reduced ability to resist insects/disease [like root or crown rot], ....). Unfortunately, roots can't transition back and forth, allowing them to utilize O2 from outside the rhizosphere today and from the rhizosphere tomorrow, which is exactly what we ask them to do if we use a water-retentive soil. BTW - fading blooms should be removed from plants, but whether or not foliage you might think unattractive should be removed is a little more subjective. If your plant is healthy, you can remove leaves that are going over with very little impact on the plant's vitality; but, if the plant is weak, there are advantages to leaving the leaves on. First, we should clear up the notion that the sad looking leaves are an energy drain on the plant. They aren't. If a leaf is using more energy than it's creating, chemical messengers inform plant central that the leaf isn't pulling it's weight. At that tipping point, the plant will start 2 processes. 1) to shed the leaf lackey, and 2) while the shedding process is advancing, the plant will be salvaging mobile nutrients and other useful biocompounds from the offending leaf and translocating them to other plant parts - another way Mother Nature recycles. If your plant is struggling, you should be a little more reluctant to remove leaves until the plant signals it's done with them. Al

@ keraurduck For Northwest FL (zone 8ish) For tropical gardens I recommend making evergreen hedges (or a wall) on the north side, just to increase the protection from winter winds. I also recommend letting things get full and lush as that really enhances the tropical jungle sort of feel. All of the following are definitely hardy in your zone and I have personal experience with almost all of them Understory tree/large narrow shrubs: - Red Buckeye (one of my favorite natives, leaves are large and give it a tropical look+ has red flowers) - Florida Flame azalea - many bananas and relatives are hardy for zone 8 - Coral Bean Erythrina herbacea there is the native one listed or the hybrid Bidwell's Coral Bean which has a longer bloom season. bright red and unique flowers (these love sandy soil) Palms: - Cabbage palm of course - Sabal minor/Dwarf Palmetto (could function as a hedge/shrub "backbone" of a bed) - Needle palm - Butia/Pindo palm (edible golden fruit hardiest feather-type palm but silvery foliage might not match the theme) - Mule palm (hybrid of Pindo and Queen) MIGHT be hardy but I'm not sure, it is definitely the hardiest green feather palm there is Shrubs: - Winter Cassia can get tree-like but most likely a shrub for you - Hibiscus coccineus native Red swamp hibiscus - dwarf figs, various for foliage interest. 'Brown Turkey' and 'Celeste' both do well here for me - Red Florida Anise very cool plant, evergreen (not the edible star anise) - Small-flower Anise 'Florida Sunshine' another native star anise, this one has more chartreuse foliage that brightens up a shade garden (not the edible star anise) Perennials: - Coontie cycad (absolute must IMO, prefer native sandy soil I think, adaptable to a lot of different light conditions) - Red cardinal flower (needs a lot of moisture so good in a swampier spot) - Spigelia marilandica (another native shade-lover, very unique red flowers) - Salvia elegans, Pineapple sage. (edible red flowers in fall, lush and tall, benefits from some relief from sun during the day so dont put it in full exposure) - Salvia blepharophylla shorter red-colored shady sage - Salvia miniata another red-colored shorter shady sage - Cannas of course - Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', Cuphea 'David Verity', Cuphea micropetala - for ferns stick to native species as most others in cultivation are for northern zones or are invasive (like the tuberous sword fern). Christmas fern is evergreen -Hedychium coccineum (shade) Vines: - Manettia cordifolia, Firecracker vine - Red trumpet honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens a native evergreen vine. 'Magnifica' (orange) and 'Major Wheeler' are popular selections'. not aggressive - Carolina Jessamine, evergreen with very lush-looking foliage but a bit bigger than the other vines Two other plants I am unsure about for your zone but love are Firebush and Red Firespike, they might work if sheltered from north winds as I hear some people growing them in zone 8b. Lastly be careful about Elephant ears, many are very invasive. There is the clumping Hawaii series that is less invasive if you must have one. I really like 'Blue Hawaii'.

Either PODS/equivalent or off site storage. Period. Do NOT use the garage for storage. Reason? Where will remodeling material be stored to prevent weather damage/theft? What you are having done is messier/dirtier than building a new house. And what happens if there is rain/snow during the roof off time. Tarps/basement will not protect furniture/etc. from the resulting moisture/water. If you think you have an idea of how much dust/debris will be generated, make a visit after the demo, then one during sheet rock installation/mudding. And, if the work is done with furnace/AC operating, that dust will be EVERYWHERE. And at least the sheetrock work and painting needs to be done above 60° , so some closed temperature regulation is necessary in cold weather. I know it seems to be too much work, but think about having to replace the furniture/etc. if it is damaged. Some extra care/cost now will prevent that possibility.

The granite is what it is. If it stays in place, and you buy the house, then the color profile and pattern and shine of that granite will be forever part of your decor. (I personally would be a lot more unhappy with the shine, and to some extent the bold markings, than the slight pinkish tinge.) That said, you could certainly (professionally) paint the cabinets a well-chosen offwhite color, and add a crystal chandelier, and have a kitchen closely resembling your inspiration photo. You can test various offwhites, whether with yellowish or bluish or pinkish or greenish or brownish tinges, and see which gives you the best appearance. HOWEVER........the price you'd pay for that house will reflect the value of the granite, as many buyers will place high value on such elaborate and expensively-installed floors. And yes, that would be quite an expensive redo, to fix.